Changes That The Night Brings Slowly
by The Bud
Summary: My take on this whole thing.
1. Chapter 1

Salutations to you! I am The Bud, an old hand a long time ago here. Those whom

Had known me are probably gone and I haven't a clue of my old pass word. Anyways lets get to this, I hereby declare that I own no part in Marvel, nor any other facet of this story.  
Changes That Time Sneaks So Slowly.  
As you may well know, what you knew of this world and all that inhabit here, has ended. Not with a resounding pop nor the whispering of a gentle solar wind, but with a few words, shouting and some fire, albeit, altogether peaceful. I say No! This is merely a What If? A what could be and what might still, however, not now.  
I am an observer from another time and a place as old as ancient can be. I have seen all and know much, not everything, not even an eternity will teach you, me, nor anyone save God himself everything. As an observer, one ponders the meaning of existence, maybe even the validity of some ones own being, people different than their brethren. The hunted, the persecuted, the proverbial freaks, if one will, At most times, the X-men and Ex-X-men. Their enemies, perhaps, but for now, lovers and former lovers to be sure. This is a story just starting for two in particular. Two sides of one of the greatest love story ever told in this Marvel of a world. Let us peek in, shall we?  
We bring ourselves to an expansive brick building that has housed the most wonderful dreams and terrific tragedies to have befallen these new man kind. We see a tall, well built blond woman arguing with her husband, a tall man with brown hair and oddly missing his trade mark glasses.  
"Scott!" She screams, " SHE cannot stay here!" Emma is this highly irate woman's name. She stole Scott Summers heart while he was a married man, And, who could blame her? Nearly white hair, clear blue eyes and a figure only money can buy. Summers had no chance.  
"Emma, Be reasonable! She isn't here to try and gat me back!" Summers Yells back dodging a rather expensive dish thrown in heat. ." This institute was her home..." But he gets cut off at that.  
"What! Don't even say it! " She prattles. "Miss perfect Jean Grey was here long before I was!" Emma shouts in her usual stuck up manner. " I stole you from her, I played with YOUR mind, YOU were innocent in our whole affair..." She paused. "You enjoyed every second of it, don't think I don't know you're using this to get UNDER MY SKIN you SICK BASTARD! Eghhuh!" She grunts as she heaves another object.  
"Meg, How long have you been standing there!" Emma breathes as her Eldest daughter enters the kitchen seeking a bottle for the youngest Summers, Alex.  
"You're the telepath! You tell me! Dad! Is it true? Were you married to that Grey woman? The one in the magazines?" Meg asked with tears welling in her eyes. "You two should be ashamed! Especially you Mom! You made us all mistakes! How could you!" Meg screams in adolescent fashion.  
"Meg! GO TO YOUR ROOM NOW!" Scott booms at his daughter. "AND DON'T EVER TALK TO YOUR MOTHER LIKE THAT AGAIN"  
"Like you care! You did this to that Grey woman! You could do it to us!  
With that Scott Summers does something no man would normally do, at least not the rational man he's prided himself in being. He reacts, to fear perhaps more than anger. Fear that Meg is right. He lashes out at his daughter and bloodies her lip and nose. "Scott! Meg!" Emma gasps in disbelief, as she flies to her child's side. "I think it's broken! "  
"Mom don't touch me" Megan cries as she runs, dripping blood as she goes.  
"Hitting me is one thing, Scott, But Meg is a child!" Emma flairs as she sets to attack and is promptly beat down to her knees.  
"I've only laid hand on you a few times and each time you deserved it!" Scott retorted snidely. "So what, are you an abused woman now?" As he placed his hands around Emma's neck. " I never had to hit Jean, why do I have to hit you"  
"That is precisely as I would like to know !" A fast moving, furry and blue object belted out as his foot slams into the side of Scott's face. "Hitting a child! For shame! Now you need stitches too"  
"You don't understand" Scott mumbled through his missing tooth and bloody mouth. "Why doesn't anyone understand me?" He rationalized. "This is all Jean's fault, It has to be"  
"For marrying Logan, I presume?" Beast put blankly. " I'll stitch you up after I fix Meg, thus ward, I expect you should leave, the authorities have been notified"  
"Good, because I'm pressing charges for assault." Scott spit out.  
"Then let the jail fix you up. They're wonderful to child abusers this time of year." Beast quipped as he led Meg away to have her nose fixed and to tend to Emma. 


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I don't own Marvel nor any part of this story and as usual, I very seldom condone violence, it just makes for ... GOOD READING...ber der na nat ma nal na na da da.  
Good morrow again fine reader, as you may or may not know, I am The Bud and the pleasure of meeting you, at least through works of word is hopefully mutual. I hope you all found part one to your liking, here is part two, enthrall.  
Time to Take the Time.  
"Jeannie?" A half asleep Logan whispers in his new wife's ear. "You awake"  
"No." She murmurs. "I have a photo shoot in the morning. What is it my love"  
"I.. I was jus' thinking about when I fell in love with you." He sighs. " That night in the garden, when we first met true, that's when I knew my life wouldn't do without you. I think though every day I fall in love with you for a different reason"  
"Logan, are you o.k.?" Jean says as she is now suddenly awake. "You don't say that unless you're worried, Or something is wrong." She breathes. "This is about Scott?" "You saw what he did, why we had to move, both him and Emma blame you for coming back. I just think he might..." He can't finish; maybe if he doesn't say it, it can't happen.  
"Logan, I know you and how worried over nothing you can get." She continues. "But Scott isn't going to try to harm me. I know I don't have my powers because the return home took so much out of me and it could be months before they return." She adds coyly" Besides, I have a big strong man to protect me"  
"That's true, c'mere you!" Logan purrs as he holds his wife tightly.  
Scott Summers has been missing for a month. After beating his daughter, Meg and his wife Emma, he ran. He felt like he was going crazy. His ex had returned to marry his biggest rival for her affections, but he lost her years ago. He cheated, she left and now he sees another man enjoy all that Scott himself had ever wanted. She would have died for him, She knew everything that made Scott himself and had saved him from himself too many times to know. Now? She's truly gone and he wants her to truly pay. He feels abandoned, an outcast, disgraced just because he wanted her back and she said no. He will have her, even if just for a night. Logan goes to visit an old friend soon, every year he goes fishing with James Hudson for a few days. Jean will be alone, helpless, and powerless. The way he's always wanted her. She's not allowed on the School grounds so no one to help her ither. "I'll have you back, I'll get you back and you'll pay for ruining everything I've worked for"  
Two Weeks Later "I'll be back in a few days, Jeannie." Logan says as he looks worried at his wife. "James ain't been the same since Heather passed on, I think these trips do him good. Beast will come to see about you"  
"Stop it with the worrying already, You've been like these since I said "yes." Besides, I'll just have some of that wine you don't like, read that book you can't stand and have a bath in those bubbles that drive you wild and think of you the whole time" Jean said as she pecks his nose.  
"I hate that you're taller than me." Logan Jokes.  
"So grow, Stumpy. "Jean teases . "I'll see you Monday"  
Logan parts for Canada with a long kiss, still looking behind him. Not wanting to go, but he knows she understands. Jean and the woods don't mix, she has to have a real bathroom, not like thousands of acres of woods don't count. James also, seems unable to be around women after Heather died. Last year, Logan missed this trip, and James nearly managed to take his own life. No one knows for sure why, can you ever know why someone does such a thing? Sure, that person can tell you, but it never makes sense. Depression is like a big, black bag filled with oil, there might be a small light on the top eventually, you've fought too hard to reach that light and sometimes give up, Nothing, not even death or God matters. That's what happened to James, that's what could of happened to Logan without Jean. This is their first real night apart, and as a nervous newly wed he thinks he shouldn't go. Tradition and obligation or not, but he does, taking heed to Jeans protest of his being over cautious.

A man who rides a motorcycle, used to living life on a whim and drinks way too much should never be called "over cautious" but she does that too him. He wants to protect her and see her happy and would have given anything to have had her come with him.  
She, Jean Grey, does as she said she would and maybe enjoyed that wine a little too much but all is well. Her bath went good, she's too tipsy to read, so she watches Saturday night T.V. in her bathrobe and hair towel, there is a knock at the door and expecting it to be Beast or Rogue, Jean opens the door to see a flash of crimson and then nothing. She feels the fist break her cute little nose and her clothes shredded away from her lithe, wet body and then nothing, her mind goes blank, a failsafe you see, one that all good or better telepaths possess

I don't need to describe what happens here. Not unless you're a sadist, and if that's true, try another story, Just know that that one moment, a woman no longer feels as though she is a woman, just a sack of meat, worthless, some still fight, but remember the bag of oil? This one has no hole for light, no air, just thick, sticky, darkness. Maybe you hear a sound or two, but no one recognizes their own screaming.

That is the sound Logan hears as he stops his bike as his soul shreds much as Jean Grey's clothes and he turns to race home.

Somewhere in the world, Mr. Sinister laughs. 


	3. Chapter 3

How art all this fine morrow? Once again, this is The Bud bidding you a fond hello. By now, I should be on part three, do enjoy. Oh yes, the disclaimer: I don't own Marvel nor any part of this story.  
What The Night Whispers In Shame.  
"What did that son of a bitch do to my wife!" Logan shouts as he sees his beloved Jean bound in bandages, bruised and tattered, her lovely face burned raw and her eyes a milky white, no longer a green to put the deepest oceans to shame.  
"I think you know." Sighs Beast. "She's blind for certain, For how long, I can't say. The burns will heal nicely, should just look like freckles with her skin and I had to wire her jaw shut, but Jean will be fine, Logan." Beast contenues "We all knew that this might happen, Logan, as to why we couldn't prevent it, well, that's stupidity on our part. Why didn't I just come up with something? Anything? I'm supposed to be a genius and I can't find one man. This is my fault! I let him go after what happened to Meg!"

"Shut it." Logan states bluntly. "We all did this and we have him now and as soon as I get hold of him, I'm taking HIS eyes."

"You know I cannot allow that, Logan, even though every fiber of my being wants to see that happen and to be of help. Right now, Jean needs you. These next few weeks are critical, we can't even bring her out of her shell." Beast exclaims as he wipes his glasses. "She's in a state much like when her friend Annie died and Jean's powers manifested."

"So? Don't we know like a million telepaths? Get one of them to crack her out"  
"Logan, that's not as easy as it sounds. With Emma here, not even Rachel wants to set astral foot here, and the Professor isn't capable of this kind of feat any longer, We are at a loss on this"  
"So, get Emma to do it."

"I asked, She hates Jean so much, she doesn't even want her here in my lab, let alone anywhere else. She refused help."

"When is that woman gonna learn Jeannie ain't responsible for what happened to her? Scott is. She is but Jeannie wasn't even on this planet when Scott went nuts"  
"Emma chose to stay with Scott and in time saw things almost as he did. In both their minds, Jean is the one that made Scott beat Emma, and the other things that he did to her, even if she was a thousand planets away."

"When Emma miscarried, I understand that was devastating to her, but Scott is the one that pushed her down the pier stairs, Why blame Jeannie?"

"Because she thinks that Jean overshadowed Scott. We know she did no such thing. Jean couldn't have. Could she?"

"Never, not her style. Jeannie woulda confronted Emma face on." Logan said as he lit one of his trade mark cigars. "not that there would be a reason to, Emma only turned about every human on earth against Jeannie. "C'mon. Let me just TALK to Scott, find out what made him do this" The animal growled.

"Don't get caught and put that filth out in here." Beast consented. "Not one hair harmed on his greasy, skinny body, Logan, and report back only to me and Charles what you find."

"I'll put this out when you quit clogging the pool drain."

LATER DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE

"So. YOU came. Shame I'd hoped for Emma." Scott said in a puny little voice. "Come to take something else away from me?"

"I didn't take her, you threw her away. That's your fault, Bub. My gain, my win." Logan replies between puffs of smoke.

"Are you always in the habit of craving second hand trash...Bub"? Scott quipped back.

"If I hadn't of promised Beast not to hurt you, you'd be choking on your own teeth right now." Logan spat as he finished his cigar. "All I want from you is why you had to go and do that to MY wife. I love her and you never did."

"You can't intimidate me. That field keeps you out as well as me in. You're nothing and she's nothing. She deserved every stitch she got and I will always be the last thing she ever saw. Not you. Sounds like I won."

"Ohhh... but yer wrong there pal, she will see again, but You still won't have her, She and I will live happy ever after long after you rot, and what have you got? Nothing. Absolutely nothing but failure Scott."

"SHE IS MINE!" Scott screamed " I know that when you're in bed and she's clawing your back. It's mine she's thinking of. My skin, my scent, my hair and my body, you are just a weak substitute and when she bears my children and she will one way or another, she'll come running back to me and where will you be? Where will you be Logan?"

Logan walks away trying to block out the ranting of a mad, mad man to return to his love and wondering how to prevent what surly is to happen.

BACK WHERE RABBITS FEET LOOSE ALL CHARM.

"Logan, I can't even do a test like that for at least another two weeks and Jeannie is a good catholic girl, anything else is out of question." Beast sighs as he rubs his tired orbs. "From what you're telling me, Scott seems to think Jean was still in love with him, could there be validity to this?"

"Not from what I saw, she actually seemed annoyed with him, especially before we got married and she got theirs annulled, Scott was always showing up on photo shoots, trying to fix things, pay for things, she had to have him banned." Logan relayed "What does Charles have to say?"

"Not much, you know he'd been banned too. He suggested moving Jeannie back home and caring for her there. Not a bad idea." Beast pointed out. "I feel she'd benefit."

And so the battered woman was moved back to her home, away from Emma, away from Scott and into the care of her husband. The man who's held her heart longer than any other and had held his breath for her, watches her breathe and wonders of what is to be, As does Sinister who watches.

Next: Enter Sinister Means. 


End file.
